During prolonged periods of motor vehicle travel, the thighs of the person occupying a vehicle seat are subject to muscle fatigue which causes leg strain which, in turn, occasionally may develop into painful cramps. To increase the comfort of the seat occupant over a longer period of time, the front edge of the seat may be raised upwardly to provide a support for the thighs of the occupant. U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,431 discloses a slidably adjustable thigh support for a vehicle seat which is positively supported during movement of the thigh support to any desired position between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position.
An additional automotive seat construction having an independently supported thigh support section which may be raised upwardly is shown by the U.S. Pat. to Lohr No. 3,600,037. This patent discloses a thigh support bolster section supported on a shaft extending longitudinally through the bolster section and also supported for rotation within supports of the seat molding. The shaft is formed in two sections which are connected by a friction clutch which normally secures the bolster section against pivotal movement.